A Tsubasa Holiday story
by TheFanFictionAlchemist
Summary: On Trees, Hot Chocolate and Why Stop-Motion Christmas Specials Are Evil! A short AU. KuroFai, SyaSaku, DouWata.
1. Chapter 1

**On Trees, Hot Chocolate and **

**Why Stop-Motion Christmas Specials Are Evil**

**Part III**

**DISCALIMER:** Not mine. . . yet.

* * *

"I don't want to!" the little boy was vehemently declaring as loud as his lungs would allow. This was, all things considered, pretty loud for such a small child. He crossed his arms and met the gaze of his smiling mother figure's bright blue eyes with his own.

"Come on, everyone is waiting. Daddy, and Syaoran, and Sakura . . ."

"_He's _gonna be there! I don't want to see him! I hate him," the boy shrieked.

Fai sighed, and sat down on the floor in front of Watanuki, in spite of being dressed fully in winter gear and still holding his young son's coat, hat and gloves. "Don't you think that's a strong word, Kimi-chan?"

"No, I HATE him!"

"And why's that?" Fai asked trying to be cautious of the six year olds feelings- even if they were a complete mystery to him right now.

"He's annoying! He follows me around, and he's big and he never talks, and he ate all the cookies I helped make for Himawari! He's so stupid!"

Fai smiled fondly at the memory of Watanuki's 'help' with the cooking- it had really consisted of mixing the batter and licking the spoon- and at the boy's antics. "Awfully noisy about it. I think Kimi-chan might have a crush."

"NO!" Watanuki said, and turned to run from the room, Fai however was faster, snagging the struggling boy into his arms.

"I'm sorry, shh, I was just teasing you," Fai assured him, "Don't you want to go and pick out a tree?"

"No," the dark haired boy mumbled quietly. He really did take after both of his adoptive parents; he was a stubborn as his 'father', but more sensitive like his 'mother'.

"Oh, but we'll get to pick out a nice big tree at the fair, then we get to bring it home and decorate it! Doesn't that sound fun?"

"No."

"Tell you what," Fai said, getting a sudden idea for an activity the boy was unlikely to say no to, "If you can possibly put up with going to get the tree, you don't ever have to help decorate it when we get home. Daddy and Syaoran can do that. You and I can make cookies for everyone."

"I-I get the spoon?" the boy asked tremulously.

"You get the spoon," Fai promised. "Now, come on, Daddy isn't very patient you know."

Fai then set about getting the boy into the indigo coat he held, and buttoning him up. Once he was done with that, he had Watanuki put on his mittens and hat, and tied a scarf around his neck. He then clasped his son's hand and led him out into the garage, to the black SUV idling there. Fai took his seat in the front passenger side, after helping Watanuki into his booster seat.

"Oi, what took you so long?" Kurogane demanded.

Fai glanced at his red faced boy in the rear-view mirror, and decided to spare him the embarrassment in front of his twin Syaoran and Syaoran's best friend Sakura, "A dragon attacked the house. I had to use magic to defeat him, and Watanuki helped, right Kimi-chan?"

Sakura and Syaoran giggled, Watanuki at least conjured a smile and began the story of the 'dragon's' defeat.

"Dragon?" Kurogane asked, glancing at Fai. Fai found his husband's hand and squeezed it, hoping he understood the silent promise that he would tell him later.


	2. Chapter 2

**On Trees, Hot Chocolate and **

**Why Stop-Motion Christmas Specials Are Evil**

**Part II**

**DISCALIMER:** Not mine. . . yet.

* * *

"All right, we're here already!" Kurogane bellowed at the three, impatient children in the back seat of the car. Fai chuckled lightly at the other's frustration.

"I want to get out first!"

"No me!"

"I want to!"

"Wait a minute!" Kurogane said, as he got himself out of the car, he pulled open the car door on Sakura's side. Fai got out and did the same on Watanuki's.

"Syaoran, where's you hat?" Kurogane asked, slightly exasperated, after he had pulled Sakura out and started on his son.

"On the floor," the boy answered.

Kurogane grumbled as he fetched the red woolen hat from its resting place. "Didn't I tell you to leave you da. . . darn hat on?"

"Mommy! Daddy said a bad word!" Watanuki valiantly reported.

"I'm sure he's sorry, Kimi-chan. Right daddy?"

Kurogane glared, but Fai matched the look just as harshly. "Yeah sure."

Fai took Sakura and Syaoran's hands and began leading them toward the fairgrounds- Watanuki insisted on being carried on his father's shoulders. AS they got closer they could smell hot cocoa and cookies and warm cider coming from the various stalls, as well as the pervading scent of pine needles.

"Look," Sakura suddenly shouted, "It Touya!"

Sure enough, the teen was standing at a nearby booth, which the shorter slivery blond haired teen next to him appeared to be quite interested in. The entire reason Sakura was with Syaoran's family was so that Touya could get some time with his boyfriend without Sakura in tow. It was easy to see from the look on his face that going to the Christmas fair had not been his intention.

"Look, Touya," Yukito was saying energetically, "Isn't it cute?"

"Big brother! Yukito!" Sakura called, and then maneuvered to extract herself from Fai's grip.

"Ah, hello Sakura!" Yukito said with a smile.

"Hello Yukito, are you having a good time at the fair?" the girl asked, as politely as possible, smiling broadly. Her childish crush on her brother's boyfriend was extremely obvious.

"Of course, Sakura. You're brother is being very nice. We were just looking at ornaments. Look." He held out a small and seemingly homemade ornament in the shape of a little mouse.

"Cute"! Sakura exclaimed.

"Told you Touya!"

"Hey, Twerps," Touya said, since Syaoran and Watanuki had made their way over to them.

The parent's were watching from nearby, and Kurogane seemed to be getting quite bored with the proceedings.

"Kuro-sama, I know you're impatient, but just be a good puppy for today, ok?" Fai murmured in his ear before giving him a quick peck on the cheek. "You know, sometimes I think you didn't even want kids."

"You wanted em. I can put up with it, for you," the taller man stated.

"Kuro-pi can be sooo sweet sometimes!" Fai giggled.

Kurogane simply growled, however as Fai called the children back over he couldn't help but think there was nothing he'd trade this life for.


	3. Chapter 3

**On Trees, Hot Chocolate and **

**Why Stop-Motion Christmas Specials Are Evil**

**Part III**

**DISCALIMER:** Not mine. . . yet.

**AUTHOR'S NOTE: **This is a slightly magical AU, by the way. Blame it on the book I'm reading right now.

* * *

"Three hot cocoas. . . Sakura, do you want a cocoa?"

"Yes, please!"

"_Four _hot cocoas and. . . Kuro-tan?" Fai broke off again. "Cocoa, eggnog, cider?"

"Anything that's not sickeningly sweet?" Kurogane quipped.

"Well, they have great. . . "

"Water,"

"You didn't even let me finish!" Fai whined.

"Water," Kurogane repeated.

"Four cocoas and one. . ." Fai glanced at his husband a moment, then back at the woman in the booth, "water."

Fai paid the woman, and retrieved their drinks, cautioning all the children to 'be careful, it's hot'.

"So, what do you guys want to do now?" he asked the kids. "There's a magician we could go and see, where is he?" Fai rummaged in his pocket for the flyer he had picked up about the fair, "Fey Wong Reed the Great! Doesn't that sound fun?"

"Is he the magician they had at Himawari's birthday party?" Syaoran asked.

"Hmm? Well I can't remember, Syaoran-kun."

"He is," Watanuki said, "He's awful, Mommy is a much better magician. Mommy is a better magician than him."

"Now that's not nice, Kimi-chan, you can't really compare me to someone who makes a living off of magic. I hardly use it at all any more, and then only very small magic."

"I've seen you do big magic before!" the darker twin insisted.

"When?"

"Christmas," Syaoran took up the arguments, "last Christmas, when you didn't have the food done. You used magic to cook it!"

"Hah, hah! I guess I did, didn't I? I try not to make a habit of that," Fai grinned, remembering the near disaster, "So, no magician. What do you want to do then?"

"We could look at books!" Syaoran suggested excitedly. He had started reading young and while that made his parents very happy, it had become something of an obsession.

"Ah, Syaoran-kun! We go to the library all the time; don't you want to do something besides look at books? Anyway, I don't think there are any here."

"Let's get orna-ornamid. . . stuff for the tree!" Sakura said."

Fai thought a moment, "No let's save that for later. I don't want them to break while we carry them around."

"There's a fortune teller," a deep voice intoned.

"Kuro-sama?" Fai asked, startled.

"A fortune teller."

"And how would Kuro-myu know?" Fai teased.

Kurogane shrugged and pointed over his shoulder to a small tent with a sign outside, reading: Mystic Lady Yuko's Magical Supply Emporium, Wishes Granted, Fortunes Told (Alcohol or Cash accepted)

"What a good idea, Kuro-rin! Who wants to know the future?" Fai asked, as he began trekking towards the tent.


	4. Chapter 4

**On Trees, Hot Chocolate and **

**Why Stop-Motion Christmas Specials Are Evil**

**Part IV**

**DISCALIMER:** Not mine . . . yet.

* * *

When they entered the tent, it was dark and rather dreary looking, lit only by the flickering light of countless candles. The tent was of somewhat dirty purple cloth, it's every move it the light winter breeze sending shadows dancing across the 'shop'. All around them were small shelving units and removable bookcases holding jars of suspicious looking liquids, and odd artifacts. Kurogane though he saw a dagger on one of them, and he wasn't going to investigate further.

"Don't touch anything," Kurogane said to the children. He then walked close to Fai, close enough to whisper without the children hearing, "Are you sure about this place?"

When the blonde did not reply, he resorted to a rarely used tactic of his, "Fai!" he whispered.

"Hmm?" the skinny man muttered, as if he had just noticed Kurogane, "Oh, Kuro-sama! You know just like I do that most 'fortune-tellers' are fake, there's no harm! I will be fun. Besides you suggested it."

"Where's the owner?" the taller of the two asked.

"My, we _are_ unobservant, aren't we?" a voice practically purred.

The pair turned sharply, and noticed a figure, seated in a chair in the corner, wearing layers of shawls and jewelry. Kurogane was sure he had looked there before, and not noticed her. Fai for the first time looked uneasy. This seemed too much like real magic. The children stationed themselves behind the adults' legs.

"You," she said, pointing at Fai, "Would be the magician, I think, that makes you the misses," she said to Kurogane, who muttered something that began with a 'b' and sounded suspiciously like a curse word. "Ahh! And the young lovers!" she clasped here hands together, at the sight of Sakura and Syaoran. "You've no idea what's in store for you and . . . Watanuki! I hadn't thought I'd get to meet you just yet!"

Watanuki folded his arms, a sour look on his face at being addressed by the woman.

"My name is Yuko. Ichahara Yuko. . . an alias of course," she grinned.

"An alias?" Kurogane scoffed.

"It means it's fake, dear."

Kurogane was about to open his mouth in indignation, and likely get himself into a lot of trouble with Fai for what he would say, but he was interrupted.

"Then why did you tell us?" Watanuki piped up.

"You need to call me something! You and I will be seeing a lot of each other later!" she answered airily.

"No we won't," the slight boy declared.

"I wish it could be different, but there is a touch of destiny about all of this, and we can hardly avoid destiny, can we? The odd thing is, I can hardly see why I've got you here today, you two. . . there isn't much more you need me fro, and the children won't for years. I guess, I could warn you about today. . ."

"Today?" Fai asked.

"Yes, that might be meddling though. . . "

"What's today?" Fai asked a slight tremble in his voice. He had now seen quite enough to convince him this was not a street performer.

"I suppose I should just say to keep your eyes on that one, he's stronger than you think," she said, pointing at Watanuki. "Now . . . payment!" she sang.

"You didn't do anything!" Kurogane growled.

"Hardly true, one fortune told, a warning given, not to mention you took up about fifteen minutes of my valuable time, big boy."

"There is no way in he_ck _that I am paying you for scaring my kids!"

"Cash or alcohol?" she smiled a Cheshire cat smile, laying a finger on her red lip.

"I don't walk around with beer in my pockets!"

"Ahh, pity. I always prefer alcohol. Oh well, for services given, and time and labor charges. . . fifty dollars!" she said in a perky tone.

"What?"

* * *

**END NOTE: **I don't know that I will ever write the story of what happens to these AU versions later in life, I'm not really sure myself what it is. If anyone else wants the plot bunny they're welcome to it. . .


	5. Chapter 5

**On Trees, Hot Chocolate and **

**Why Stop-Motion Christmas Specials Are Evil**

**Part V**

**DISCALIMER:** Not mine . . . yet.

* * *

The kids had seems a bit shaken after the events at the fortune tellers, so Fai had suggested that they play a few of the games, after all, they weren't expensive. So as the children ran about with handfuls of quarters and enjoyed doing Christmas crafts, and picking lollypops out of the sides of cardboard boxes to win plastic bracelets, their parents finally a bit of time to themselves. They sat at a table close enough to the games tent that they could see the kids.

"I can't believe that bitch tried to charge me fifty dollars for nothing," Kurogane said sullenly.

"Kuro-sama, don't whine. What did you end up paying her, anyway?" the blond asked, since he had led the children out of the tent before the end of the confrontation.

"I gave her fifteen dollars, and I left."

"Kuro-chan! You skipped on the bill! How awful."

Kurogane glared at him, before stating "You know having a break from the kids kind requires that neither of us act like one."

"Meanie."

Kurogane smirked at him, before taking a light swipe at his shoulder.

"Oh! And I though I was being childish!" Fai said with false indignation.

"So," Kurogane continued, once Fai was done, "Dragon?"

"Well of course, Kuro-pi, our house is plagued by wild dragons!" he said dramatically. A moment and a glance from his husband prompted him to go on, "Kimi-chan is having issues again."

"Issues?"

"Apparently that boy in his class... Doumeki. He's been bothering him. Though I can't exactly figure out how so, seems like he does it by existing."

"Sounds like you half the time," Kurogane said with a roll of his eyes.

"Kuro-myu!" Fai chided. "It _sounds _like Kimihiro has a crush. Or like the other boy has a crush on him. Or maybe they just like each other. But of course, at their age all that's going to do is result in people getting pushed in the mud."

"Thought he liked that Himawari girl."

"Well..."

A bit of shouting from the children's direction and obviously in their sons voice brought a quick end to 'adult time.'


	6. Chapter 6

**On Trees, Hot Chocolate and **

**Why Stop-Motion Christmas Specials Are Evil**

**Part VI**

**AUTHOR'S NOTE: **Fluff goes away for now... but not long! And I will finish this!

**DISCALIMER:** Not mine . . . yet.

* * *

Watanuki had been having a wonderful time. He had forgotten all about his previous reluctance to come to the fair, and was now busy drawing a Christmas picture for his parents. His twin had run off somewhere with Sakura after finishing his own picture, a scribbley drawing of a decorated tree. Watanuki was a lot more meticulous... he put time into his work, careful where every crayon line fell on the sheet of red construction paper. It was a snowy landscape, with little green fir trees and hills and a bright sun... he considered it, not bad, though the red paper completely ruined the affect of snow he decided. Oh well, it was green or red, and he'd wanted the trees to show up. He then picked up a new black crayon and started to write his name- his whole name, Watanuki Kimihiro Fluorite. His brother couldn't manage his whole name, Li Syaoran Fluorite, and Watanuki prided himself on the ability.

"Oh, look, its little Kimi-chan! Hello Kimi!" a familiar voice said.

Watanuki glanced upwards, "Hello Doumeki's Grandpa," he said, "You can't call me that."

The man nearly laughed at the brash declaration, and the misuse of his name, "Really, why not?"

"Because, that's Mommy's name for me... and Daddy said that your second name is only for your family and friends to use."

"Aren't we friends?" Haruka asked.

Watanuki scrutinized him a moment, thinking, "You can call me Kimihiro," he finally decreed, "but not Kimi-chan."

That earned him a warm smile, "That's wonderful, we have permission to call him Kimihiro now, Doumeki."

That was the first time Watanuki noticed the boy standing next to his grandfather silently. "Oh, no," he said, "You can, he _can't!_"

"And why not?"

"Because," Watanuki answered logically, "I'm not his friend!"

"That's not very nice; Shizuka is always nice to you."

"No," Watanuki declared, glaring at the boy, "He's annoying."

Doumeki shrugged, like it didn't bother him at all if he were declared annoying.

"Well, then, I guess we'll go, and leave you to your art work. Come on Shizuka," the man said, leading Doumeki away.

Watanuki watched as his most hated enemy left, and then turned to gather up his drawing, that of his brother and the various plastic nick-knacks he'd won for prizes. His intent was to go find the table his parents were at again, and show them the drawings, and the plastic ring, bracelet and lizard he'd managed to obtain. He set off rather confidently, sure he knew the way, even thought he was at the back side of the games tent.

That was when he was sure he saw something shining, just beyond the tent in the nearby bushes out of the corner of his eye. When he turned to face them, he was certain, there was something there. Watanuki hesitated, knowing he wasn't supposed to leave the tent, but still possessing a child's natural curiosity. In a moment, he went of toward the bushes.

And of course, that was when he screamed.


	7. Chapter 7

**On Trees, Hot Chocolate and **

**Why Stop-Motion Christmas Specials Are Evil**

**Part VII**

**DISCLIMER: **It's not mine, blah, blah…

**AUTHOR'S NOTE: **So, you might hate me for this but…update? You know, this was originally just a fluff storey, you know, but it somehow turned into a Watanuki/Fai centric fic with Kurofai and Douwata thrown in.

* * *

"Do you see us, human child?" the first of the three creatures asked, it small wings fluttering wildly with the effort of keeping its body aloft.

"It must see us," the second answered, cocking its beast head to one side and regarding Watanuki with glassy, expressionless eyes. "It would not scram if it did not."

"It is hard to tell, with human children. They scream for so many reasons," the third hisses, fixing it myriad of faceted eyes, like a beetle's eyes, on the boy, holding him transfixed. "Do you see us, human boy?"

Watanuki said nothing, simply staring at the image before him, and wanting like nothing else in the world to rum form the sickening feeling growing in his gut, but finding his legs would not obey. Not while those bright eyes stared into his own wide blue eyes.

"Come now," said the second again, its toothy jaws distorting familiar the words into harsh snarls, "Surely you want to tell us. Though, by now, we already know."

Watanuki gave a small nod of affirmation, and the creatures broke into horrible laughter at the sight.

"Do you know what it is we are?" the first asked, its blood red wings fluttering.

"No,"Watanuki croaked.

"So young, and tender," the beast headed one snarled, before the others silenced him.

"And, your name?" the third asked, beetle's eyes glittering.

Watanuki shock his head vigorously; his mother was a magician, he knew better that to give out his name to something so clearly inhuman.

"Come, boy, if you tell us, we may not eat you," the first said, voice slick and sweet like honey.

"No."

The three looked at each other, a strange emotion spreading across their inhuman faces.

"That is too bad…"

"Oh, far too bad…"

"Indeed," the beetle eyed one concluded, "Well, it'd serve you best to run now, human child. Though, I'm not sure what good it would do you!"

With that, Watanuki felt as if a great weight that had been keeping him in place had been lifted, and he did run. Not from obedience to the three nightmares commands, but rather from instinct, from fear, and from the desire to escape the awful, oppressive feeling of being near the things. He ran blindly, only half-aware of his surroundings, more aware by far, of the creeping feeling of the rapid approach of the creatures, of the clawing terror in the back of his mind.

They where there, almost there, just behind him.

He could hear them breathing, laughing, calling out to him "Human child, human child, there is no need to fear! We swear we shall kill you, before we pull you apart!"

He could feel one of their hands coming closer and closer, reaching out to grad him.

And he felt the instant he collided with something warm, and as human as he was. And in that moment, it stopped. They were no longer just behind him, so after briefly glancing upwards to see who it was he was clinging to, he slipped out of consciousness.

--

"Kimihiro!" Fai shrieked, as he ran toward his son, and the one who had found him. Kurogane was not a step behind him.

"What happened?" Kurogane demanded of Doumeki, who was clutching Watanuki's unconscious body.

Doumeki shrugged with apparent confusion, thought his face remained unchanged. "He was running, and yelling, then he ran into me, then he fainted."

"That's it?" Kurogane confirmed, as Fai reached out to clutch the form of his small son in his arms. Doumeki nodded.

"Did he say anything?" Fai asked.

Doumeki shock his head again.

Fai nodded, closing his eyes. When he opened them again, they glowed blue, and he uttered a single word, his magic suddenly swirling brightly around him, before converging on Watanuki and going dim once more. Fai blinked again, and his face suddenly became a mask of fatigue.

"Here," He said, handing Watanuki to his tall husband, "Take him to the car. I don't know what he was running from; it could be a lot of things, if the other boy couldn't see it. I put a general shield spell around him, a strong one."

"You aren't supposed to do that kind of magic anymore," Kurogane scowled, "Not since…"

"I'll be fine!" Fai answered, putting on a grin before turning to face Doumeki again. "Now, thank you, very much for your help, Doumeki-kun! Do you know where you grandfather is?"

"Yes."

"Why don't you go find him, then, hmm?" Fai asked. Doumeki nodded again, before running off. Fai turned, realizing he'd had an unknown audience; Sakura and Syaoran stood nearby, watching the scene take place.

"Is Kimihiro ok?"

"Oh, he's fine!" Fai answered, "He just fell, and daddy is taking him to wait in the car. Now who want to get the tree?"

* * *

**END NOTE:** So, hate me for that crap?


End file.
